114 THE FUTURE OF OUR AGRICULTURE. 



properties. " Middle schools " are designed for what we 

 should call the larger yeomanry, that very comprehensive 

 class of fairly substantial " peasant " owners, who make up 

 the bulk of the agricultural population of Germany, and 

 also a large part of it in France. 



In the lowest grade of instruction, in Farm-schools, no 

 doubt, a certain combination of theory with practice has 

 to be maintained, the scientific part of the curriculum 

 there being very elementary. Farm-schools {Ackerbau- 

 schulen) are intended for small folk. But then experience 

 has taught us that Farm-schools, once the hold-by in 

 agricultural instruction for all the world, have only a very 

 limited utility, and are serviceable really only as a first 

 stepping-stone. They answer exceedingly well in the 

 earliest stage. But even there unquestionably drawbacks 

 make themselves felt. It is a serious sacrifice to a small 

 farmer — and it is for children of small farmers mainly that 

 Farm-schools are intended — to have to part with the nimble 

 young arms and the quick young wits of his son or sons, 

 when there is work to be done on his own holding. The 

 teaching of manual work given at the Farm-school may be 

 superior to that which the father himself can give at home. 

 However, at the rate of sacrificing his son's labour, it seems 

 dearly bought. Also, there is no telling whether, superior 

 as it is assumed to be, it will quite meet the case to be pro- 

 vided for. A new patch will proverbially not hold on an 

 old garment. And soil and other circumstances may be 

 too strikingly different in the locality of the Farm-school 

 and the scene of the pupil's intended future labour, to make 

 what he has learnt in one place quite appropriate to the 

 other. For the better use of new and perfected implements 

 and machinery other teaching institutions are possible 

 and, indeed, preferable. In this respect Belgium has, 

 with its special schools reserved exclusively for such pur- 

 poses, to which in seemingly bona-fide cases admission is 

 free, set a good example. 



Partly under the influence of such considerations, partly 

 owing to the advance in knowledge of the young public 

 to be taught, made in course of time, " Farm-schools " have 



